Letters to Home
by XpaperplaneX
Summary: The funny thing about letters is how much is between the lines...


_**Title: **_Letters to Home  
_**Co-Authors:**_ Illiadandoddity (Doom Squirrel here) and XpaperplaneX  
_**Rating:**_ G  
_**Pairings:**_ Sephiroth/Cloud  
_**Warnings:**_ none  
_**Disclaimer:**_ We do not own FFVII and make no money from this work.  
_**Summary:**_ The funny thing about letters is how much is between the lines...

This was Kindra's idea that we sort of ran with. We took turns writing the letters and had a blast doing it. Hope you enjoy! Sigh, stupid site eats my double spaces between letters, so pretend the xos are hugs and kisses Cloud is signing the letters with, if you'd like. I didn't really want section breaks, but there you go.

xoxo

Dear Mom,

I made it to Midgar just fine. I was sick on the ship coming over, but lucky for me one of the sailors helped me get off at the right port even when I was drugged up on anti-nauseants. Enlisting was a pain; they refused to believe I was of age.

You'll never believe what I had to do to get the enlistment officer to finally sign enlistment papers. Don't worry, I didn't bribe him or threaten him or anything. I just followed him _everywhere_ for five hours, even to the bathroom, and wouldn't leave until he gave in. I think he thought I was going to follow him home if he didn't. I probably would have, too.

Basic training won't give me a lot of time to write letters, so I probably won't write very much for the next two months. I'll try, though.

Love you mom!  
Cloud.

xoxo

Dear Mom,

We started basic training today. I'm not sure I'm going to survive this after all. Sergeant Brock is a sick bastard who enjoys seeing young men in pain, I'm sure of it. We had to run _10k_. _Ten_, mom, all of it running. No jogging, no slowing while you puked, _running_. My legs still feel like they're on fire.

The cafeteria food is really good though. You don't have to worry about me getting enough to eat. I guess they figure if they torture us, they should feed us well to keep us alive longer.

But really, it's not that bad. I think I'm going to like it here. My bunkmates are pretty fun and we start weapons drill tomorrow. I can't wait.

Hope you're doing well. Say hi to everyone for me.

Love,  
Cloud.

xoxo

Dear Mom,

I am _so_ sorry I haven't written back in so long! I haven't died, really. It's just that if I thought basic training was tough, it's nothing compared to all the "voluntary" classes for the SOLDIER exams. I've just been so busy and exhausted I've completely forgotten to write and I'm really sorry about that.

I should explain about the classes. Basically, if you want to take the SOLDIER exams, all you've got to do is fill out a request form. But if you want them to actually _accept_ your request and let you take the exam, you'd better be real buddy-buddy with a SOLDIER (and not a 3rd Class, either. Only second or above can approve you), or you need to take all these courses and impress your instructors. They're "voluntary" but if you don't do them, you can kiss SOLDIER goodbye.

And of course, taking the SOLDIER exam classes doesn't excuse you from regular military duties either. The classes basically mean my days are about five hours longer each day, and even though we get the weekends off from work, we don't get them off from class.

I know you'll probably think I'm in over my head, but I promise I'm not. I'm going to make SOLDIER. That's a guarantee.

I'll try to write again soon.

Love,  
Cloud.

xoxo

Dear Mom,

Guess what? I got noticed by a Second Class! We were on a mission in the wilderness and I guess I must've impressed him. His name's Zack and he's from this town called Gongana or something. He's really great and offered to train with me. That means I'm not stuck in the stupid classes all the time anymore. It means that I've got to train with him, which I think is harder, actually, but I'm also learning way more than I ever did in the classes. He says he'll put in a good word for me with the people in charge of recruiting!

Only problem with him is he _insists_ on teasing me about my hair. And I know what you're thinking, my hair is crazy and anyone would tease me about it. But you should see his! He looks like a hedgehog, mom! Get too close and you'll lose an eye! Still, if that's the worst I've got to put up with, I'm happy.

Anyways, I just wanted to let you know the good news. I'll be in SOLDIER in no time now.

Love,  
Cloud.

xoxo

Dear Mom,

You are never going to believe what happened today! I met _General Sephiroth_! I was training with Zack after guard duty and all of a sudden Sephiroth walked in. I thought I was going to pass out I was so nervous! I was just sure that I would screw everything up while he was watching me.

I didn't screw _everything_ up. But I did trip over my own feet when going through the second sword form. I was so embarrassed I thought I would die, but you know what he did? He helped me back to my feet and explained what I did wrong and how not to make that mistake again. I still can't believe it. No, I really can't. I'm half convinced I just dreamed it all up except for the way that Zack kept winking at me all afternoon once the General left. I think he was teasing me, but I don't care. There's nothing to be ashamed of with getting flustered over _General Sephiroth_.

I'm so sore from all the training I can barely lift this pen to write you this letter, but I feel so excited right now I could just about jump out of my socks. Sephiroth! Sephiroth gave me (ME!) pointers on sword work. All I need is to pass the SOLDIER exam and I can die happy!

And as for what you said in your last letter, you tell Mr. Byrns that if he tries to cheat you, your army son will come home and shoot him in the kneecaps so he'd better give you that wood you paid for ASAP.

I really could shoot him if you need me to.

Love,  
Cloud

xoxo

Dear Mom,

Happy Birthday to me! Well, it's the day after my birthday as I write this, but you get the idea. I would've have been able to write you yesterday because Zack found out it was my birthday and dragged me all over Midgar all day to celebrate. It was a lot of fun, but I think it was even more tiring than training. I wonder if it's the mako that gives him all that energy, or if he's just like that?

Anyways, we went down below the plate first. I wasn't sure about that, they tell us to not go there unless we have to. It's a pretty rough place, and they don't like Shinra very much down there. I guess I wouldn't either, if they built a big metal plate above Nibelheim that blocked out the sun. Everyone seemed to know Zack, though. It turns out that he has a girlfriend who lives below the plate, so he goes down there all the time. Her name is Aerith, and she's very sweet. You'd probably like her a lot.

Zack brought Aerith with us and we went _everywhere_. We literally walked down every street, back and forth, street by street, just stopping wherever we saw something even slightly interesting.

I got back to the barracks past curfew, but my sergeant let it slide; she just winked at me and told me to get to bed. Now I feel kind of bad for calling her Sergeant Scarybitch. She is pretty scary most of the time, though.

Oh, I almost forgot: Thank you for the cookies. Zack and I shared them; he says they were the best he'd ever tasted.

Love,  
Cloud

xoxo

Dear Mom,

Today was an experience I'll never forget, as much as I'd really, really like to. Today we had our first chocobo riding lesson. The lesson wasn't too bad, I suppose, although chocobos are kind of big and scary. And mine kept trying to eat my hair. (The trainer said she was grooming me, I begged to differ.) Anyways, we finally got on the stupid things after learning how to saddle them and everything and we were riding around the corral learning how to stop and start and turn and all that fun stuff.

It was going well until General Sephiroth came back from a mission on his chocobo. (It's a _gold_ one, ma! So cool.) Anyways, he came riding past the corral we were in, and I guess my chocobo has a crush on his chocobo or something, cause that stupid bird went flying towards Sephiroth as fast as it could. I was hanging on for dear life, when it jumped over the corral fence and I flew off. I woke up a few hours later in the infirmary. And the craziest thing? General Sephiroth was there, waiting for me to wake up to make sure I was okay. The nurse told me after he left that he had carried me in himself. I couldn't believe it! I was so embarrassed! But that was really nice of him, wasn't it? He was probably really tired after his mission, but he took the time to take me there and wait around.

Anyways, I'm hoping I get a different chocobo next time. That one was a little weird. Well, I hope you're still doing well. Did you have fun at the baby shower? Man, I still can't believe that Lana is married and having a kid. It wasn't that long ago that she was babysitting me.

Love,  
Cloud.

xoxo

Dear Mom,

Odin help me, I think I'm about ready to die of embarrassment. Today I found out that my _entire unit_ thought that I was gay and dating Zack. I'm actually a little pissed off about it. Zack's the best friend I've ever had and it really frustrates me that people think you can't be friends with someone unless you're dating them.

And if that's not bad enough, I told Zack about it and he started teasing me by flirting with me all over the top and over-dramatic. He did stop when he realized I was genuinely upset by it, though, so I guess he wasn't trying to be a jerk. I guess people are just dumb. As if someone like Zack would ever be gay. You should see him with Aerith. I don't think I've ever seen two people more in love.

(And no, mom, I haven't found a girlfriend. I'm not looking for one, and I'm not going to look until I've made SOLDIER. Any girl I dated now would want to break up with me 'cause I'd never have time for her.)

Ingrid's getting married again? I really can't believe that. She liked calling herself a widow so much that sometimes I wonder if she killed her husband just so she could be one...

Lots of love,  
Cloud

xoxo

Dear Mom,

The night before last (it's taken me this long to recover enough to write) was Zack's birthday. Aerith organised a big party at a bar in the slums and I think everyone that Zack has ever met was invited. I felt really lucky, though, because Zack made me sit at the same table as him and all his other really close friends. I didn't realise he considered me such a good friend too.

But you know who else is a really close friend of Zack's? You guessed it, General Sephiroth. I was sitting _right next to him_. I was so nervous, I could barely eat anything! And then he noticed that I wasn't eating much and he gave me this _look_. One eyebrow went up really, really high and the other one went down really, really low and he said, "You're a cadet, Cloud. Cadets supposedly kill for free food that isn't from the cafeteria. Here." And he started dishing out some of everything for me. And then he smiled and it was like he was really Sephiroth then, not _General_ Sephiroth.

He talked to me a bunch throughout the night too, and introduced me to people when they came over to talk to him. I think he did that so I wouldn't feel left out. And did you know? Sephiroth's a _really_ good singer. He refused to do karaoke, no matter how much Zack bugged him, but he did sing Happy Birthday with everyone else, so that's how I found out.

Well, I've got to go in a few minutes. Zack's taking me out to train somewhere special today. He said it was a surprise when I asked where we're going. Sorry to hear about Ingrid's divorce. I guess now she can talk about her late-husband _and_ her ex-husband.

Love,  
Cloud.

xoxo

Dear Mom,

I am _not_ gay! I can't believe you would even have to ask me. Did you forget that I've liked Tifa since I was like, six?

I admire Sephiroth and aspire to be like him, that's different from having a crush, okay? I guess maybe in some of my letters it probably sounded a lot like I had a crush, but I don't. I'm not gay.

Anyways, this is just a really quick reply because I have to go out the door in about half an hour. Zack is dragging me and a few other friends out to see some horror film or something. I just had to reply because I needed to clarify.

I'll send you a proper letter later this week.

Love,  
Cloud

xoxo

Dear Mom,

So, um, not quite sure how to say this, but, well... you were right. So you can just forget about that last letter. I'm gay. There, I said it.

The good news is that Sephiroth's gay too. And he likes me. I found out when I went to that movie just after I sent the last letter. You know how I am with horror movies. This one was really scary and I jumped and grabbed onto Sephiroth by mistake. Only, I guess Sephiroth didn't think it was a mistake.

Anyways, feel free to say 'I told you so'. I'm actually really happy that you were right. And now I've got to go get ready for my date!

Love,  
Cloud.


End file.
